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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · stick · degree · craft · race · cap

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. race — a contest
  4. cap — of ice
  5. degree — an amount
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bound — certain
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — temperature
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — from a university
  13. race — humankind
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — boats
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com